A high moor dropping to a wild coast, with an easy first hill and a proper dark sky above it
Open heather moor meets a coastline that drops straight into the sea on Exmoor, and it’s an easy place to feel at home in quickly. Ponies graze the high ground, red deer move through the combes at dawn and dusk, and once night falls there’s little artificial light to get in the way — one of the best patches of dark sky in England, so worth a look up if plans stretch to an overnight stay.
For a first outing, Dunkery Beacon is the natural choice: the highest point on the moor but a walk well within reach of most fitness levels, with paths that don’t demand scrambling or route-finding skill. Selworthy Beacon and Periton Hill make gentler alternatives if little legs are along for the day. The coast itself is threaded by the South West Coast Path and the newer King Charles III England Coast Path, both well signed and easy to dip into for an hour rather than commit to end to end.
Villages dot the moor: Dunster Castle sits at one end with tearooms and enough packed in to fill a whole day, Watersmeet has waterfalls a short stroll from parking, and Porlock Weir is about as unhurried a harbour as the coast gets.
Weather turns quickly on open moorland, so a windproof layer is worth its space in the bag even on a bright morning, and a paper map is a sensible backup where phone signal thins out. Deer are shy and best watched from a distance, particularly with dogs about — keep them leashed near grazing animals and the walk stays a pleasure for everyone, deer included.
